F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S

Transcription

1 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S

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3 Contents 1 7=62=0 4 Anchor, The 6 Apple Drill, The 8 Boy from the Woods 10 Fairy Tale R 12 Five Sunrises to Go 14 God s Teeth 16 Heaven 18 Heavy Metal 20 Hedgehog Thing 22 Keidas 24 Lake, The 26 Learned by Heart 28 Legacy 30 Loggers, The 32 Magic Night 34 Memory, The 36 My Portrait 38 Next Move, The 40 Number Life on a Scale from 0 to On the Way 44 Opportunist 46 Pietà 48 Punishment 50 Rondo 52 Skiers, The 54 South Indian Thali 56 Sõprus (Friendship) 58 Tango Finlandia 60 Town Manager, The 62 Vaslav Nijinsky Invisible Power 64 Visitor 66 Woodsmen 68 Zone of Total Eclipse, The 70 åäö 72 Contacts 74 3

4 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Experimental documentary mm 1:1,85 Dolby Digital ~8 1 7=62=0 The film is an experimental documentary bordering on video art about the slowness of mental healthcare. It aims to depict what it feels like when the mind is exhausted. 4 Director, script, cinematography, editing, sound design, music: Kauko Lindfors Producer: Kauko Lindfors Production company: Angry-La Visual Design Ky Production support: AVEK Kauko Lindfors Kauko Lindfors has worked in various fields of film for almost twenty years. Since graduating from the University of Art and Design Helsinki, he has worked as a sound mixer, sound designer and editor in over a hundred productions. He has directed a documentary film about infertility, Uskon vasta kun pää näkyy (1994), and depression, Light My Head A Documentary on One Depression (Valoa päähän dokumentti yhdestä masennuksesta, 2004). Kauko Lindfors currently works as a lecturer of editing at Tampere Polytechnic.

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6 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Animation 2007 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo 7 30 Director, script, lay out: Tommi Juutilainen Animation: Mikko Torvinen Rendering, backgrounds: Samppa Kukkonen Editing: Sampa Kukkonen, Tommi Juutilainen Sound design: Mikko Paju Music: Esko Mäkinen Producer: Jyrki Kaipainen Production company: Film co-operative Camera Cagliostro Production support: AVEK (Make It Short Project of AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation and YLE Co-productions) Financing TV company: YLE TV1 The Anchor [ A n k k u r i ] A captain and three seamen are aboard a ship. One of the seamen loses his head, which rocks the status quo changing it to something quite different. Tommi Juutilainen Tommi Juutilainen (born 1972) studied fine arts at the Institute of Fine Arts of the Lahti University of Applied Sciences, and animation at the Arts Academy of the Turku University of Applied Sciences, from which he graduated in Juutilainen s films include a puppet animation Tractatus Gastronomicus (1999) and animated cartoons Terribly Sorry (Anteeks kauheesti, 2001) and Humble Desires (2004). He has also held his own art exhibitions. 6

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8 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2007 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo ~15 Director, script: Paavo Westerberg Cinematography: Mark Stubbs Editing: Suvi Ryhänen Sound design: Tero Malmberg Set design: Otso Linnalaakso Costumes: Kristiina Saha Cast: Mikko Kouki, Kari Ketonen, Janne Virtanen, Oskari Heimonen Producer: Peter Lindholm Production company: Petfilms Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE Co-productions The Apple Drill [ O m e n a p o r a ] Johannes buys a food processor that slices apples into identical pieces. After the blade breaks, Johannes starts a seemingly never-ending battle against bureaucracy in order to get a new one. Paavo Westerberg Paavo Westerberg (born 1973) has been an actor since the 1980 s, but in 2003 the TV-series Fragments (Irtiottoja, directed by Aku Louhimies) also made him a screenwriter, together with another co-actor Mikko Kouki. Westerberg was also a co-writer of Frozen Land (Paha maa, 2005) with Jari Rantala. Director Louhimies also contributed to the writing process. The Apple Drill is his debut film as a director. 8

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10 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2007 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo 12 Director: Juha Lehtola Script: Laura Ruohonen Cinematography: Mark Stubbs Editing: Suvi Ryhänen Sound design: Tero Malmberg Set design: Otso Linnalaakso Costumes: Kristiina Saha Cast: Saija Lentonen, Jukka Leisti, Sari Mällinen, Markku Maalismaa, Ursula Salo, Heikki Nousiainen Producer: Peter Lindholm Production company: Petfilms Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE Co-productions Boy from the Woods [ M e t s ä n p o i k a ] Three families from the city are spending a skiing day together. The youngest of the lot, a six-yearold boy, vanishes in the forest by oversight. Juha Lehtola Juha Lehtola (born 1966) is a director and scriptwriter. He previously directed Woman in the Meadow (Nainen kedolla, 2003). 10

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12 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Animation 2007 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo ~20 Director, script: Tiina Halonen Cinematography: Pauliina Leino Editing: Tuomo Leino Sound design, Music: Pekka Karjalainen Producer: Tuomo Leino Production company: Leino & Suvinen Production Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK, Nordic Film & TV Fund Financing TV company: YLE TV2 Fairy Tale R [ S a t u R ] On a spring night, in a city, in a stone house, by a park, the drawer falls asleep by her window. There, I was born. I was small, almost not at all. Everything was sleeping. Everything was blue. Water was babbling. At that moment, I swam out of the drawer s cage, away from her papers, away from the lake of her desk. I swam through the woods, the night and the water into the Fairy tale. Tiina Halonen Tiina Halonen is a graphic artist from Helsinki. She started to make animations in 1976 and has directed 15 animated films, mainly for television. Her preferred technique is cut-out animation, but she is also familiar with cel, sand and object animations. Director Halonen writes her films herself. 12

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14 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Animation 2006 Digibeta SP 16:9 Stereo 17 Director, visualization: Milja Ahola Script: Iiro Küttner Animation: Jan Andersson, Kati Härkönen, Katja Kettu Editing: Tuula Mehtonen Sound design: Kepa Lehtinen Music: Eero Ojanen Producer: Liisa Penttilä Production company: Edith film Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE Co-productions Five Sunrises to Go [ V i i s i a a m u a v i e l ä ] A black comedy about a Manager who wanted to do the right thing. Milja Ahola Milja Ahola (born 1945), Master of Arts, is an animation director and graphic artist from Helsinki. She has made animations since 1994, of which The Twin (Kaksonen, 1999) was awarded at the Tehran International Film Festival, New England Film & Video Festival and Tampere Film Festival. She has also worked as a graphic designer and held several private exhibitions. 14

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16 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2006 Digibeta / Beta SP / DVD 16:9 Anamorphic Dolby SR ch1+ch Director: Pentti Kasurinen Script: Pentti Kasurinen & John Lundsten Cinematography: Kimmo Jaatinen Editing: Annukka Lilja Sound design: Santtu Sierilä Music: Panu Aaltio Set design: Heini Granberg Cast: Kari Heiskanen, Aleksi Rantanen, Jan Nyquist, Tatu Siivonen, Mikko Jurkka, Antti Dahl Producer: Aleksi Hyvärinen Production company: Snapper Films Oy Co-producer: UIAH ELO / LUME Production support Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation (Make It Short Project of AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation and YLE Co-productions) Financing TV company: YLE Co-Productions God s Teeth [ J u m a l a n h a m p a a t ] God s Teeth takes place in 1930s Lapland. Juha s confirmation class is interrupted when a van arrives at a churchyard in a remote village. To his horror, it contains a dentist s office. All the youngsters in the village are to get false teeth as a confirmation gift. Thus, their own teeth will have to be pulled out. Juha runs away after seeing his friends in pain, but he doesn t get far. Getting false teeth seems unavoidable until higher powers intervene. Pentti Kasurinen Pentti Kasurinen (born 1956) has directed many popular Finnish television series, and has been involved in several TV-dramas, documentaries and short films. 16

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18 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2007 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo ~12 Director, script: Juha Lehtola Cinematography: Mark Stubbs Editing: Suvi Ryhänen Sound design: Tero Malmberg Set design: Otso Linnalaakso Costumes: Kristiina Saha Cast: Maria Heiskanen, Pekka Autiovuori, Christina Indrenius-Zalewski Producer: Peter Lindholm Production company: Petfilms Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE Co-productions Heaven [ T a i v a s ] A story about a young mother, who runs out of money and takes a painting she has inherited from her parents to be appraised at an auction house. An expert, who resembles God and looks like he is over a hundred years old, deems the painting to be no more than a poster. As the disappointed mother leaves, it starts to rain, and water washes paint and colours off the picture. Juha Lehtola Juha Lehtola (born 1966) is a director and scriptwriter. He previously directed Woman in the Meadow (Nainen kedolla, 2003). 18

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20 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2006 Digibeta / Beta SP / DVD 1:1,85 Dolby Digital 29 Director: Zaida Bergroth Script: Jan Forsström, Zaida Bergroth Cinematography: Anu Keränen Editing: Oskar Franzén Sound design: Janne Laine Production design: Päivi Kettunen Costumes: Elina Lario Cast: Ilmari Saarikoski, Ville Jokinen, Oona Linnavuori, Henriikka Salo Producer: Jarkko Hentula Production company: Juonifilmi Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation Financing TV company: YLE TV1 Heavy Metal The end of the 80s, a village in the middle of Finland. 15-year-old Hevari, the only long-haired boy in town, is the coolest guy in the world at least according to Kake from next door. No-one else seems to agree. Short-tempered Hevari is used to being the laughing stock among the gang and the girls. But when the Friday night comes and there s a disco at the community hall, it s time to go again. Maybe tonight everything will be different. Zaida Bergroth Zaida Bergroth (born 1977) has studied film directing at the University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH, in the Department of Film and Television. Glass Jaw (Lasileuka, 2004) was her diploma work for UIAH. Bergroth is currently developing her first feature film, which is planned to go into production in

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22 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Experimental fiction mm, Hdcam, DigiBeta 16:9, 1:1,85 Dolby Digital 7 Director, script, music: Esa Illi Cinematography, colourist: Pentti Keskimäki Editing: Esa Illi, Pentti Keskimäki Sound design: Olli Pärnänen Cast: Eetu Furuholm, Jani Toivola, Maria Heiskanen, Ville Virtanen Producer: Raimo Uunila Production company: Grape Productions Oy Production support: AVEK (Make It Short Project of AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation and YLE Co-productions) Financing TV company: YLE Co-productions hedgehogthing Hedgehog Thing [ S i i l i j u t t u ] A sweaty and tense afternoon on a city bus. Tired, angry and apathetic people. A small boy who s afraid to go home and is sort of trapped on the bus. This is one of those moments when you re balancing on a razor s edge. In the end a person who has every reason to give up musters up the energy to care and the boy is saved. A small unselfish act, to rise above everyday life for a moment is enough for a feeling of mythical heroism to spark to life for a moment. Unless we see enough signs in our surrounding reality that at least one person cares and is capable of altruistic, unselfish acts during tough, stressful situations then some significant break-down will occur. We need these signs to believe in this world and to feel good. Especially for children. Esa Illi Esa Illi has directed, for example, Midsummer Stories (Juhannustarinoita, 1997) as well as the short fictions which won awards at the Tampere film festival: Lazyman Death (Den lata döden, 1991), Break-In The Anatomy of a Gig (Kili-Kali, 1994) and Monkey Business (Apinajuttu, 2000) and the EBU-awarded short film, Kotiinpaluu (1998). His first full-length feature, Brothers (Broidit), was made in Other awards and honourable mentions: Nordisk panorama (Reykjavik 1994), Mannheim (1994 and 2000), and Shanghai International Film Festival (2004). 22

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24 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Documentary mm 1:1,85 Dolby Digital 20 Director, script, editing: PV Lehtinen Cinematography: Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen Sound design: Sakari Salli Music: Biosphere Producer: PV Lehtinen Production company: CineParadiso Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE TV1 Co-productions Keidas A meditative journey to an oasis that a bunch of people consider their second home, where they return each summer. These people include a retired policeman, a musician, a professor and a worker. They and many others share the powerful experience of the swimming stadium as a source of vitality. Many have been going there since they were little children. Keidas continues the director s visually impressive series of water films. It brings the beautiful, functionalistic swimming stadium, previously seen in many of his films, into the foreground. This film is like a layered portrait of Finland s first outdoor swimming pool and its regular customers. About the swimming stadium: It took a long time for the Helsinki swimming stadium to be completed as a site for the Olympics and a popular bathing establishment. The designing work started in the early 1930 s and the building started in 1938 according to the plans by architect Jorma Järvi. The stadium was supposed to be finished for the 1940 Olympics, which had been awarded to Helsinki, but the work was suspended because of the Winter War. The swimming stadium was finally completed for the 1952 Olympics. PV Lehtinen PV Lehtinen was born and lives in Helsinki. He graduated as a director from the School of Motion Picture, Television and Production Design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki. His previous water-themed films include The Diver (Hyppääjä, 2000) and The Crawl (Krooli, 2004), which have been awarded at several international festivals.

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26 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2006 Digibeta 16:9 5.1 Dolby stereo 7 Director: Maarit Lalli Script: Laura Arpalahti Cinematography: Rauno Ronkainen Editing: Harri Ylönen Sound design: Pasi Peni Music: Kepa Lehtinen Set design: Kimmo Siren Costumes: Niina Pasanen Cast: Pamela Tola, Elina Knihtilä, Jani Kiiskilä, Ville Seivo, Ilmari Tuomivaara, Aarni Kivinen Producer: Jarmo Lampela Production company: Lasihelmi Filmi Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK (Make It Short Project of AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation and YLE Co-productions) Financing TV company: YLE TV1 Co-productions The Lake [ J ä r v i ] Two sisters, Mailis and Henna, are rowing on a lake at the heart of a summer midnight. Henna has lost something in the lake something dear. Mailis, whom she has woken for help, is about to turn the boat homeward, when Henna points at the black lake: there. And another one, there! And a third one is bound to turn up... At dawn, the sisters have a sumptuous catch in their boat, but Henna is still not satisfied. Mailis finds out that blood is not always thicker than water. Maarit Lalli Maarit Lalli (born 1964) has studied directing and script writing at the Motion Picture school, Television and Production Design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki. She has directed and written several films and TV series. Her filmography includes Remnants (Rippeitä, 1999), the award winning A Stone Left Unturned (Kovat miehet, 1999) and the documentary film Prison and Paradise (Saaren vangit, 2002, together with Anu Kuivalainen). 26

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28 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Animation x 3 Stereo 5 x 5 45 Directors, script: Marjut Rimminen, Päivi Takala Cinematography: Marjut Rimminen, Kari Sohlberg Animation: Marjut Rimminen, Shaun Clark Editing: Tony Fish Sound design: Päivi Takala, Patrick Boullenger Music: Päivi Takala Design: Marjut Rimminen Costumes: working team, Riitta Röpelinen Cast: Fanny Sukura, Anton Valtonen Producer: Annakaisa Sukura Production company: Soundsgood Productions Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE TV1 Learned by Heart [ S y d ä m e e n k ä t k e t t y ] Finland emerged from WWII in a schizophrenic state. The nation had survived two wars against the Soviet Union with her independence in tact, but had officially come out on the losing side. It was hard to talk about the war in the homes. Fathers were back from the front, but they found it difficult to adjust to everyday life. The heroism and camaraderie of the battlefield lived on in their memories, the horrors of war haunted their dreams. Mothers, the heroines of the household, took control and began organizing the lives of their families. To post-war children, their parents seemed distant, authoritarian, frightening. It took the Sixties to free the society from the spectre of unquestionable authority, and to open windows to the outside world. Television brought war back into the living room, but now it was being fought on the other side of the planet. The film is composed around old Lutheran hymns and their spiritual legacy. Hymnal motifs dominate the soundtrack and recall memories of a time when they were an unquestioned element in everyday life. The wealth of visual imagery consists of animation, archive materials and snapshots from old family albums. Marjut Rimminen Marjut Rimminen (born 1944) has worked in London independently since 1974 directing and animating commercials for Finland and producing short films for Channel Four Television. She has created a children s series Urpo & Turpo in partnership with Liisa Helminen. Päivi Takala Päivi Takala (born 1953) has had a wide-ranging career as a composer, musician, sound designer and film maker. Her first film was the award winning documentary Mwe Bana Bandi (Rumpu, ruokokitara ja Honda, 1988) which she co-directed with Kristiina Tuura. 28

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30 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2007 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo 12 Director: Matti Ijäs Script: Juha Lehtola Cinematography: Mark Stubbs Editing: Suvi Ryhänen Sound design: Tero Malmberg Set design: Otso Linnalaakso Costumes: Kristiina Saha Cast: Jarkko Pajunen, Susanna Anteroinen, Rauno Juvonen, Risto Salmi, Vieno Saaristo Producer: Peter Lindholm Production company: Petfilms Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE Co-productions Legacy [ P e r i n t ö l a k a n a ] Myrsky on nousemassa, mutta siitä huolimatta Lauri, 30-vuotias kaupunkilaismies haluaa ripustaa pyykkinarulle juuri pestyn ison valkoisen lakanan. Hänen vaimonsa vastustaa ajatusta ja seuraa järjetön taistelu turhista periaatteista. Matti Ijäs Matti Ijäs (born 1950) has been writing and directing films for almost three decades. His latest films include Blue Corner (Haaveiden kehä, 2003) and Blindfolded (Sokkotanssi, 1999). 30

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32 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Documentary 2006 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo 18 Director, script: Selma Vilhunen Cinematography: Sari Aaltonen Editing: Hanna Asunta Sound design: Laura Kuivalainen Producer: Kaarle Aho Production company: Making Movies Production support: AVEK (Make It Short Project of AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation and YLE Co-productions) Financing TV company: YLE TV1 The Loggers [ J ä t k ä t ] Asko is a man, Myrsky is a horse. In winter, the pair earn their living by logging wood in small forests in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The work is hard and the days are long. The man and the horse have only each other for company. The Loggers is a film about the co-operation between a man and an animal, and about a dying working method meeting the 21st century landscape. First and foremost, it is a tribute to testosterone steaming in the cold of winter. Selma Vilhunen Selma Vilhunen (born 1976) studied film at the Arts Academy of the Turku University of Applied Sciences. She has written and directed both fictional films and documentaries.

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34 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Documentary 2006 Digibeta 16:9 Dolby stereo Magic Night [ T a i k a y ö ] Hannes Tiira is completely blind. Every night from the beginning of May to the second week of July, he takes a solitary walk into a bird grove that is split by a straight one-kilometre-long forest path. He counts and classifies the nightly singers in the grove, from the first warbler in spring to the last whistler in July. The birds songs make up a concert that Hannes wants to experience every night, over and over again. He hopes to come across a magical night that may occur just once in a summer: Each summer is blessed with one or two magical nights. Those are the twilight hours between two hot days, when the sound world of the grove intoxicates your mind. That is when nothing feels unlikely: birds, birds, birds! I can sense everything, even the beauty of a landscape, even though I am blind. Every night as I walk in the forest, I ask myself: Is this possible, have I gone to bird men s heaven? 34 Director, script, cinematography: Jouni Hiltunen Editing: Anne Lakanen Sound design: Janne Jankeri Producer: Jouni Hiltunen Production company: Katharsis Films Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation Financing TV company: TV1 Uusi kino Jouni Hiltunen Jouni Hiltunen (born in 1964) is a documentary film director. He has worked in various fields of the film industry since 1990 and has directed more than 15 documentary films. His documentary film about three Russian prisoners Blatnoi Mir (2001), has been awarded at both Finnish and international festivals. At the moment, Hiltunen works as a producer-director for Katharsis Films in Helsinki, Finland.

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36 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2007 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo ~13 Director: Peter Lindholm Cinematography: Raimo Uunila Sound design: Tero Malmberg Set design: Otso Linnalaakso Costumes: Kristiina Saha Cast: Mi Grönlund, Kari-Pekka Toivonen, heidi Krohn, Risto Aaltonen, Susa Saukko Producer: Peter Lindholm Production company: Petfilms Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE Co-productions The Memory [ M u i s t i ] Milla is fired from her job. The crisis brings back a nightmare from her youth, in which she is attacked by some huge creature. Milla believes she has found out the terrifying reason for the dream after her brother tells her about a childhood encounter with a bear. Milla does not remember the incident and does not know what to believe anymore. Peter Lindholm Peter Lindholm (born 1960) is a film director and producer. His latest directions are a documentary film Borgå Year (Ett år i Borgå, ), a feature film Kites Over Helsinki (Drakarna över Helsingfors, 2001) and a television series Sincerely Yours in Cold Blood (Kylmäverisesti sinun, 2000). 36

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38 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Animation :9 ~5 My Portrait [ O m a k u v a ] The main character in the film, a lonely painter, sits in his studio before a blank canvas, wondering what to paint. He decides to paint a self-portrait. The film follows the artist working, this exciting and ever-escalating process, up until the painting is finished... but something goes wrong. The self-portrait may have become a little too realistic, it almost breathes Director, script, cinematography, editing: Christian Lindblad Producer: Ilkka Ruuhijärvi Production company: LR Film Productions Oy Production support: AVEK Christian Lindblad Christian Lindblad graduated as an actor from the Theatre Academy of Finland in 1985, but moved on to film soon after in His debut film Love Tank (Kärlekens bandvagn) was finished the same year. A series of live action films culminated in the feature film Ripa Hits the Skids (Ripa ruostuu, 1993). Since then, he has mainly made animated films, but has also written opera librettos and directed for theatre.

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40 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Animation 2006 Digibeta / Beta SP 16:9 Anamorphic Stereo Director, script, editing: Laura Neuvonen Technical art director: Olli Rajala Animation: Laura Neuvonen, Pauli Laasonen, Kai Lappalainen Sound design: Janne Jankeri, Salla Hämäläinen, Heikki Kossi Music: Christer Nuutinen Character Design: Annu Salminen Producer: Petteri Pasanen Production company: Anima Vitae Ltd. Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK (Make It Short Project of AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation and YLE Co-productions) Financing TV company: YLE The Next Move [ M ö b l e e r a a j a ] A film about a couple moving into their first home. Laura Neuvonen Laura Neuvonen works as an animator at the animation studio Anima Vitae. Her previous animated short The Last Knit (Kutoja, 2005) has been screened at numerous film festivals. She has also designed characters for the TV-series Autocrats (Itse valtiaat) and Pasila. 40

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42 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Documentary 2006 Digibeta 16: Director, script: Mika Lehtinen Cinematography: Harri Räty, Pentti Keskimäki Editing: Jani Pyylampi Sound design: Vesa Meriläinen Music: Petri Nieminen Producer: Jarmo Lampela Production company: Lasihelmi Filmi Production support: AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation (Make It Short Project of AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation and YLE Co-productions) Financing TV company: YLE TV1 Co-productions Number Life on a Scale of 0 to 10 [ N u m e r o e l ä m ä a s t e i k o l l a ] One night, before falling asleep, I started to think about people close to me and the powerful feelings that they feel. The feelings seemed strong, overwhelming, all-consuming and in some cases even overpowering. I thought about the world and people in a wider context and that developed into a starting point for Number. Number Life on a Scale of 0 to 10 is a sketch and an outline of feelings. Our lives are filled with pure and meaningful moments and periods that consist only of feelings. In some parts of our lives, we feel that we are alone and in some sense special. We think that there s no one else in this world as unhappy, lonely, depressed, scared, happy, or in love as we are. If at that moment we turn our attention inwards, we lose the ability to co-exist and be compassionate thus losing life itself. The diversity of human feeling is unlimited, and the words we use to describe it are only lame and vague allusions. - Yrjö Kallinen, 1951 Mika Lehtinen Mika Lehtinen (born 1966) graduated as a director from the Theatre Academy of Finland in He has worked as a director in many theatres around Finland, and he is a lecturer in the Department of Lighting and Sound Design at the Theatre Academy. Lehtinen has also worked as a drama consultant to various documentary departments with the Finnish Broadcasting Company, and as an assistant director in several films before his first direction Precious Brother (Arvon veli, 2004), which received an audience award at the Tampere Film Festival in 2005.

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44 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2007 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo 11 Director: Saara Saarela Script: Kari Hotakainen Cinematography: Mark Stubbs Editing: Suvi Ryhänen Sound design: Tero Malmberg Set design: Otso Linnalaakso Costumes: Kristiina Saha Cast: Pertti Sveholm, Janne Reinikainen Producer: Peter Lindholm Production company: Petfilms Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE Co-productions On the Way [ M a t k a ] Two men climb down from a tree, found a political party and journey from the forest to the midst of people, to preach their truth in order to save Finland. Saara Saarela Saara Saarela (born 1971) is a film director, whose previous works include Slow at Heart (Kuningas Hidas, 2000) and Stripping (Hengittämättä ja nauramatta, 2002). 44

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46 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2005 Digibeta, DVD 16:9 Anamorphic Stereo 8 30 Director, script, editing: Teemu Nikki Cinematography: Jyrki Arnikari Sound design, music: Sakari Salli Set design, costumes, make-up: Minna Sorvoja Cast: Aukusti Heikkilä, Topi Majaniemi, Antti Reini, Tarja Heinula, Pertti Sveholm, Milka Ahlroth Producers: Petri Jokiranta, Tero Kaukomaa Production company: Blind Spot Pictures Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK (Make It Short Project of AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation and YLE Co-productions) Financing TV company: YLE Opportunist [ M e n e s t y j ä ] 10-year old Marko is jealous of his next door neighbour who is the same age as he. Marko s family and the neighbour boy s family go for a ride. At the gas station Marko notices that his opportunity has come. Teemu Nikki Teemu Nikki (born 1975) has directed several music videos and commercial films. Opportunist is his first short film. 46

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48 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2007 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo 60 Director, script: Selma Vilhunen Cinematography: Sari Aaltonen Editing: Hanna Asunta Sound design: Pietari Koskinen Music: Otso Lähdeoja Set design: Kaisa Mäkinen Costumes: Karoliina Koiso-Kanttila Cast: Maria Ylipää, Ville Tiihonen, Eeva-Kirsti Komulainen, Kristofer Gummerus Producer: Kaarle Aho & Kai Nordberg Production company: Making Movies Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation Financing TV company: YLE TV1 Pietà Kristian and I are breaking up. We ve been breaking up for like four years now. Maria s old love Kristian is once again unhappy and homeless, and it just so happens that once again he moves in with Maria. In her job as a geriatric nurse, Maria tries her best to cheer up Ms. Eeva V, an author she admires, who has been paralysed by a stroke. Maria is the strongest woman on Earth, and full of love so fiery that nothing could hurt her. But day by day, both Kristian and Eeva become more and more miserable and mean. Pietà is a tragedy about becoming human, coloured by bitter humour and Helsinki summer nights. Selma Vilhunen Selma Vilhunen was born in 1976 and is a director and scriptwriter. She graduated from the Arts Academy of the Turku University of Applied Sciences in Vilhunen s previous directorial work includes the documentaries My Little Elephants (Minun pikku elefanttini, 2002), about a Russian shepherd and a housewife, and Loggers (Jätkät, 2006) about a logger and his horse. Vilhunen has written the movies Suburban Virgin (Espoon viimeinen neitsyt, 2003) and Homesick (Koti-ikävä, 2005), the latter together with the movie s director Petri Kotwica. 48

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50 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Documentary 2007 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo 30 Punishment [ M i e s j a t u o m i o ] Punishment tells a story about a man who pushed the norms of chastity in the Finland of the late 1960 s. Mattijuhani Koponen is a pioneer of Finnish underground and performance art, who had sexual intercourse on top of a grand piano and threw the conservative Finland off its rails. The fine line between art and pornography was discussed in several courts of justice. The artist was sentenced to one year in prison. One public act in his youth has stigmatised the man and his whole life. The incident turned his life upside down and almost destroyed him. His friends disappeared, and Koponen was almost completely forgotten. Much of the time and era is culminated in Koponen s fate. The film is one man s romantic journey amidst the complex set of values of our recent history, when the idealism of an individual made the powers-that-be nervous. At the same time, it reminds us of similar problems we face today. 50 Director, script, cinematography: Timo Peltonen Editing: Samu Kuukka Producer: Jouko Aaltonen Production company: Illume Ltd. Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation Financing TV company: YLE TV1 Co-productions Timo Peltonen Timo Peltonen is renowned for his delicate cinematography and his vast experience from different fields of art. His previous works as a cinematographer include Life-Saver (Hengenpelastaja, 2004), Henki (2004), Lost and Found (2003), Family Files (2002), and as a director, David (2002) and Omar Elvis (1996).

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52 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Experimental 2006 Beta SP / PAL 4:3 Stereo 8 21 Director, script: Marja Mikkonen Cinematography: Sini Liimatainen Editing: Hannele Majaniemi Sound design: Sakari Luhtala Music: Taneli Tuominen Set design: Tuomo Truhponen Cast: Jaana Pirskanen, Hermanni Ylitepsa Producer: Marja Mikkonen Production support: AVEK, Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki Rondo My memories alter when I talk about them. When I think of them, they are different. This is a short poetic film about memory and change with no dialogue. In the film the characters act within a certain framed choreography and only the ending of the film releases them from the loop. Marja Mikkonen Marja Mikkonen (b. 1979) is an artist who uses various forms of media in her work, such as live performance, video, film, installation, text and photography. Her graduation work from the Turku Art Academy in 2003, a film entitled 99 Years of My Life (99 vuotta elämästäni), won several prizes, including a shared silver prize in the category of Cinéfondation in the Film Festival of Cannes Mikkonen is currently finishing her MFA-studies in the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki. Hannele Majaniemi 52

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54 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Documentary mm / Digibeta 1:2,35 Dolby Digital 11 Director: John Webster Cinematography: Tuomo Hutri Editing: Mervi Junkkonen Sound design: Anne Tolkkinen Producer: John Webster Production company: JW Documentaries Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation (Make It Short Project of AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation and YLE Co-productions) Financing TV company: YLE TV1 The Skiers [ H i i h t ä j ä t ] A hand opens, turns... Old men s hands, whose lines echo the criss-crossed patterns of ski-tracks. Hands that remember wielding a scythe, caressing a child and pulling a trigger. These men, veteran soldier-skiers of the Winter War, today take part in an annual skiing competition. The Skiers tells the story in a handful of words and a few telling pictures. The result is a celebration of old age, the joy of life, and the tough endurance of the Finnish spirit. John Webster John Webster (b. 1967) has been making documentary films as an independent director and producer since His work includes the films Suckers (1993), Don t Tell Daddy (1995), Losing It (1999), Rooms of Shadow and Light (2001) and What Comes Around See Everything, Feel Everything (Sen edestään löytää, 2004). 54

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56 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Documentary 2007 Digibeta, Betacam SP, DVD 16:9 Stereo 27 Director, script, cinematography: Lasse Naukkarinen Sound design: Heikki Innanen Music: Carl-Johan Häggman Producer: Lasse Naukkarinen Production company: Ilokuva, Naukkarinen & Co Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation Financing TV company: YLE TV1 Co-productions South Indian Thali [ E t e l ä - I n t i a n T h a l i ] A subjective documentary set in Kerala, South India. The stunning beauty, the potent dose of reality and the fascination of traditional dances and rituals are paralleled with the many courses of a Thali meal. Thali is a popular meal of many different dishes, served in small metal bowls on a round tray. There are six or seven bowls, as there are scenes in the film. The flavours and the spiciness of the dishes vary from mild to mouth-burning. Each little dish has its own name. Just like rice brings together the alternating flavours on a Thali tray, the film combines the ritual rhythms with the rhythm, pulse and performance of life. Lasse Naukkarinen Lasse Naukkarinen (born 1942) is a director and cinematographer. The first of his over 30 directions were political (Solidarity / Solidaarisuus 1970), in the 1980 s and 90 s he made documentaries that examined society (No Comments, 1984), then gritty profiles (Dog Trails / Koiranpolkuja 1995) and later artist profiles (Miina! / Miinavaara!, 2003; Artist s Life / Taiteilijaelämää, 1999). Anni from Paanajärvi (Paanajärven Anni, 2006) is a story about a village in North western Russia, which is saved from drowning into the reservoir of a hydropower plant. 56

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58 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Documentary 2006 Digibeta PAL 16:9 Dolby stereo 30 Director, script, editing: Anu Pennanen Cinematography: Kasimir Lehto Sound design: Anne Tolkkinen Music: Stefan Németh Producer: Sanna Kultanen Production company: Virta Productions Line producer: Kaie Ene Rääk / F-Seitse Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE Sõprus (Friendship) [ S õ p r u s ( Y ( s Yt sä tv äy vy ys y) s ]) ] Sõprus (Friendship) (Friendship) depicts depicts the urbanization the urbanization of the of cityscape the cityscape of Tallin, of the Tallin, capital the of capital Estonia, of Estonia, from the from perspectives the perspectives of teenagers of teenagers who live who there. live The there. film The draws film a draws parallel a parallel between between the teenagers own development own development and the and recent the development recent development of the city. of the Two city. groups, Two Estonian groups, Estonian and Russian, and the teenagers Russian, separated separated by language by language and history, and are history, becoming are becoming curious curious about each about other. each These other. issues These are issues framed are against framed the against backdrop the backdrop of historically of historically charged city charged locations city locations and, in contrast and, in with contrast these, with the these, recently the opened recently shopping opened centre. shopping The centre. teens, The who teens, spend who a lot spend of time a lot drifting, of time occupy drifting, and occupy transform transform these places these into places the into sites the of events sites of that events differ that from differ what from the what official the official purpose purpose of the of place the and place would would suggest. suggest. The film is based on workshops, texts and discussions with the nine teenagers featured in the film. Anu Pennanen Anu Pennanen was born in 1975 in Kirkkonummi, Finland. She is an artist working with urban public space and its relation to cinema and media. Typically, her work occupies a space between documentary and fiction. Anu Pennanen works collaboratively and on-site with people, who in her works are both the mirrors and investigators of the built environment. More information can be found at

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60 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Animation mm & Digibeta 16:9 Stereo 6 Directors: Hannu Lajunen, Tomi Riionheimo Script: Hannu Lajunen Cinematography: Antti Takkunen Editing: Ykä Järvinen, Tomi Riionheimo Sound design: Pirkko Tiitinen Music: Hannu Lajunen Set design: Tomi Riionheimo Costumes: Hannu Lajunen, Tomi Riionheimo Cast: Petteri Sopanen, Timo Pesonen, Kaarina Etto Producer: Tomi Riionheimo Production company: Indie Films Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation Financing TV company: YLE TV1 Co-productions Tango Finlandia A dance-evening in the local bar somewhere on the Finnish periphery. Lonely people come there to find joy. There are not that many customers but the hot and passionate tango rhythms lead all of them to the dance floor. The Finnish tango is hard and sweaty. This film is basically a testosterone loaded action movie. Hannu Lajunen & Tomi Riionheimo Hannu Lajunen (born 1963) is a graphic designer and a part time drummer of various bands. Tomi Riionheimo (born 1966) is a drop-out lecturer of human anatomy and physiology, a self-made comic strip artist, designer and producer. 60

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62 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2007 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo 11 Director: Zaida Bergroth Script: Zaida Bergroth, Jan Forsström Cinematography: Anu Keränen Editing: Suvi Ryhänen Sound design: Tero Malmberg Set design: Otso Linnalaakso Costumes: Kristiina Saha Cast: Sulevi Peltola, Rea Mauranen, Aarne Laitala Producer: Peter Lindholm Production company: Petfilms Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE Co-productions The Town Manager [ K u n n a n j o h t a j a ] Juupio is a small town with a decreasing population somewhere in Finland. Koskinen, the town manager, is faced with a tough dilemma: the residents have grown old and the financial situation is difficult. Consolidation with the neighbouring town of Pyhälä seems to be the only choice. It would take a miracle to save Juupio... Zaida Bergroth Zaida Bergroth (b. 1977) has graduated from the University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH, at the Department of Film and Television. Her diploma work for UIAH was Glass Jaw (Lasileuka, 2004). 62

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64 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Dance fiction :9 Dolby stereo 56 Director, script, editing, music: Joe Davidow Cinematography: Tahvo Hirvonen Choreography: Jorma Elo Sound design: Markus Kahelin Set design: Kati Ilmaranta, Tanja Bastamow Costumes: Erika Turunen Cast: Kari Heiskanen (Choreographer); dancers: Jorma Elo, Nancy Euverink, Vaslav Kunes Producer: Claes Olsson Production company: Kinoproduction Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE Co-productions Vaslav Nijinsky Invisible Power [ N i j i n s k i N ä k y m ä t ö n v o i m a ] The film tells of the Choreographer, who is attracted to and obsessed with Vaslav Nijinsky, the legendary Russian choreographer and dancer ( ). While reading the Diary of Nijinsky, the Choreographer is rehearsing with his Dance Company his edition of Nijinsky s famous work, The Faune. Nijinsky wrote his Diary by hand during the 6 weeks he spent locked up in the study of his house in Switzerland. The Diary ends when Nijinsky was forcibly taken to the Insane Asylum, where he remained for over 20 years. Through Nijinsky s Diary, the Choreographer is experiencing that sensation where all of the revelations he is reading about are brought to life in his mind. Now he is learning about the deepest inner thoughts and feelings that Nijinsky has. The Choreographer has always been infatuated with Nijinsky, first through his admiration of Nijinsky s choreography s and dance, and then through his realisation of the extraordinary similarities between Nijinsky and Himself. Joe Davidow Joe Davidow (born 1949) is an American director and composer, who lives permanently in Finland. As a director, he specialises in dance films. In , Davidow directed dance programmes for Finnish television, including Obsessions (Pakkomielteitä), and a dance film for the Helsinki Festival, Moments (1991). In addition, he has directed two dance films and composed their scores for Kinoproduction Ltd, The Man Who Never Was (1997) and Hidden Passion (2000). 64

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66 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2007 Digibeta 1:1,85 Stereo 15 Director: Mika Hotakainen Script: Heikki Vuento Cinematography: Jarkko T. Laine F.S.C. Editing: Joona Louhivuori Sound design: Juha Hakanen Music: Mikko Myllymäki Set design: Janne Putkonen Costumes: Erja Mikkola Cast: Samuli Punkka, Raimo Grönberg, Emilia Ikäheimo Producer: Joonas Berghäll Production company: Oktober Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation Financing TV company: YLE TV1 Uusi Kino Visitor [ E n s i m m ä i n e n E s k e l i n e n ] Visitor is a drama comedy, influenced by dark humor, about the relationship between father and son. Joona arrives at his childhood home in Lapland from Helsinki to visit his father, Antto. He is living alone in a corrosion ruined house on the steep banks of a river in Lapland. The scraggy meeting between father and son takes a bizarre twist as a young female arrives at Antto s hut. Since the men have insuperable problems when it comes to solving things by talking, many misunderstandings can stay unsorted. Mika Hotakainen Mika graduated as a director of drama in 2004 from a four year educational program at the Helsinki polytechnic university, Stadia. Mika has been in film and television industry since Previously he has directed a long documentary film called Freedom to Serve (Valtio vapauden vei, 2004). Visitor is his first professional drama film. 66

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68 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2006 DVD / Beta SP / Digibeta 16:9 Dolby Surround 9 47 Director, script: Timo Korhonen Cinematography: Pekka Uotila Editing: Jukka Nykänen Sound design: Pekka Karjalainen Music: Timo Peltola Cast: Reijo Kela, Aimo Korhonen, Timo Korhonen Producer: Timo Korhonen Production company: Road Movies Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation (Make It Short Project by AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation and YLE Co-productions) Financing TV company: YLE TV1 Woodsmen [ K a i n u u l a i s i a ] Woodsmen is a film about the collision between man and nature. It is a tale about two woodsmen who encounter a wolf-like creature in a beautiful forest. The woodsmen are doing their everyday job, felling trees and piling up logs, but is there something more in the forest? It looks like the woodsmen do not notice the existence of the wolf-like creature. Still it is there and interferes with events. Or does it? The film plays with the clone-like similarity of the woodsmen; they are almost faceless. It also comments on how Finnish men communicate. I wanted to make this film because a pine forest in spring is a quintessential childhood experience for me. I remember how the sound of a tractor shatters the silence of the forest. How heavy wood is. The feeling of power when a huge tree falls. Sitting at a camp-fire, panning over the forest in farewell. How alive and mysterious the forest is. The conflict between man and nature is irreconcilable. Still, even though nature loses at the end of the film, humour comes out on top. The actors in the film are from the same remote district; they share the same experience of nature. Dancer Reijo Kela as the wolf-like character brings an animalistic nature experience to the film. Timo Korhonen Timo Korhonen (b. 1954) is film director and producer. He has a special interest in social issues and cultures of resistance. His selected filmography includes Crucified Freedom (Ristiinnaulittu vapaus, 1998), Client Number Two (Asiakas numero kaksi, 2000) and Home Sweet Home (Välittäjä, 2002). Since 2002 Korhonen has worked as the producer for a large documentary project The Other Finland. 68

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70 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Experimental x 16mm or 2 x 35mm film print approximately 4:3 Mono 6 6 The Zone of Total Eclipse [ T ä y d e l l i s e n p i m e n n y k s e n v y ö h y k e ] A double projection science noir short film by Mika Taanila. The film has two separate film reels positive ( The Sun ) and negative ( The Moon ) which are projected simultaneously on a big screen, superimposed on each other. The Zone of Total Eclipse is based on scientific film footage shot by The Finnish Geodetic Institute in Poroluoto, near the town of Kokkola in Western Finland in July During a total eclipse of the Sun, the film medium was used for the first time in world history to measure the exact distance between two continents: Europe and North America. The measurement was not successful due to mechanical running problems with recently introduced 35mm cameras and lenses. In the film you can see images and sounds from the Poroluoto test site. It consists of the actual measurements ghost-like surreal sights witnessed by the film camera. The film pays homage to the early pioneers of scientific film a celebration of interplanetary shadows at work. 70 Director, editing: Mika Taanila Sound design: Olli Huhtanen Producer: Cilla Werning Executive producer: Lasse Saarinen Production company: Kinotar Oy Production support: AVEK, The Finnish Film Foundation, FRAME Financing TV company: YLE Co-productions Mika Taanila Mika Taanila is an artist working fluently in the fields of documentary filmmaking, avant-garde filmmaking and visual arts. His films deal with the issues of artificial urban surroundings and futuristic utopias of contemporary science. His previous work includes Optical Sound (Optinen ääni, 2005) and Futuro A New Stance for Tomorrow (Futuro tulevaisuuden olotila, 1998).

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72 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Fiction 2007 Digibeta 16:9 Stereo 3 Director: Peter Lindholm Script: Reko Lundán Cinematography: Raimo Uunila Sound design: Tero Malmberg Set design: Otso Linnalaakso Costumes: Kristiina Saha Producer: Peter Lindholm Production company: Petfilms Oy Production support: The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK Financing TV company: YLE Co-productions åäö We meet five people over the course of one day: Gunilla, a 25-year-old English teacher from Helsinki; Jan, who is 45 years old and unemployed; Olof, a 35-year-old farmer; Elisabeth, a 65-yearold society lady; and Anna, a 50-year-old drunkard. They are all Swedish-speaking Finns, but do they have anything in common apart from the language? Peter Lindholm Peter Lindholm (born 1960) is a film director and producer. His latest directions are a documentary film Borgå Year (Ett år i Borgå, ), a feature film Kites Over Helsinki (Drakarna över Helsingfors, 2001) and a television series Sincerely Yours in Cold Blood (Kylmäverisesti sinun, 2000). 72

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74 F I N N I S H S H O R T F I L M S Festival contacts for all titles: The Finnish Film Foundation Kanavakatu 12 FI Helsinki Tel Fax ses@ses.fi Producers Angry-La Visual Design Ky Laurantie 60 FI Vantaa Tel angryla@kolumbus.fi Anima Vitae Ltd. Vanha Talvitie 11 A FI Helsinki Tel Fax petteri.pasanen@anima.fi Blind Spot Pictures Oy Kalliolanrinne 4 FI Helsinki Tel Fax spot@blindspot.fi CineParadiso Hermannin rantatie 20 FI Helsinki Tel pvlehtinen@kolumbus.fi Edith film Oy Tehtaankatu 5 C 21 FI Helsinki Tel Fax info@edithfilm.fi Film co-operative Camera Cagliostro Vellamonkatu 1 FI Tampere Tel Mobile jyrki@cameracagliostro.fi Grape Production Ltd. Magnusborg FI Porvoo Tel grape@magnusborg.fi Illume Ltd. Palkkatilankatu 7 FI Helsinki Tel./Fax illume@illume.fi Ilokuva, Naukkarinen & Co Palotie 23 FI Espoo Tel ilokuva@ilokuva.fi 74